Surfing Safari: ֲýian explores surfing art and culture
Olivia Wang ’25 loves to surf. And even though Iowa is landlocked, she found a way to keep surfing in her life as a student at ֲý.
Wang, an English and art history double major, applied for and won the Fischlowitz Travel Fellowship, which offers international students at ֲý the opportunity to travel independently in the United States while focusing on a chosen theme.
Wang’s theme, of course, was surfing. During summer 2024, winter break 2024–25, and spring break 2025, she traveled to explore surfing aesthetics and culture in California, Wisconsin, and Florida.
“Surfing has always been a part of my life throughout college, but the fellowship gave me the opportunity to pursue it beyond recreation,” Wang says. “I was able to plan for it more intentionally and surf more extensively.”
The Fischlowitz Travel Fellowship provides an award of $5,500 to support the travels, made possible by an endowed gift from Teresa and Merle Fischlowitz ’53. When he was a student, Merle Fischlowitz found his friendships with international students so rewarding, he wanted to empower them to see more of the United States. Fischlowitz believed travel has the power to enrich an international student’s education beyond what can be accomplished by living for a few years in any single community.
Falling in Love with Surfing
Wang grew up in China’s Shanxi Province. She started surfing about five years ago on a trip to China’s Hainan Island as a high school student. On a whim, Wang and a few of her friends took a surfing class.
“I think I just fell in love in surfing during that first class,” Wang says.
“That feeling was just amazing,” she says. She saw how comfortable other surfers were in the water and how they greeted each other. She appreciated that sense of camaraderie and community.
“And the sport itself is just super fun,” Wang says.
The Joy Can Last Forever
When she’s on the board, Wang says her mood changes from moment to moment. Paddling out is exhausting and can be a bit scary. “My heart just beats so fast sometimes. I know the waves can just literally break in front of me. That would be so dangerous.”
At that point, she’s focusing on finding the ideal position and resting a bit before catching a wave.
As the wave gets closer, there’s a lot of multitasking involved. She begins to paddle hard and gets ready to take her shot. At the same time, she needs to look back to make sure she’s in the right position.
“When I’m actually on the board, I think that’s the moment I stop thinking,” Wang says. It took a lot of time and practice to get to this point, she says. But now, Wang can relax and ride the waves in. The moves feel almost natural to her.
“Overall, it’s really joyful. After a wave finishes, I think it feels like a dream is done, and then you’re coming back to reality.
“But the joy can last forever.”
On the Road
On her travels as a Fischlowitz Fellow, Wang brought aspects of her studies in art history to bear. She realized how surfers can make surfing culture and community more tangible through creating art. Wang connected with artists in Southern California, where she visited Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, and Doheny State Beach.
Wang was already aware of the role of art in the creation and appreciation of surfboards. “It’s just a functional piece of art,” she says. In California, Wang connected with an artist who had been crafting wooden surfboards for decades. He told her that it served as a kind of therapy for him. And while the boards he creates can be used to surf, he would prefer that people preserve them as a work of art.
Then it was on to Sheboygan, Wisconsin (“the Malibu of the Midwest”), where surfers brave the cold waters of Lake Michigan to catch waves between September and November. Then she traveled on to Tampa and Cocoa Beach, Florida.
“I didn’t really catch any waves in the Midwest or even in Florida,” Wang says. “It’s supposed to be the typical surfing season, and I have my contacts, but the days when I got there, there were just no waves.”
She hopes to go back someday for another crack at these surfing destinations. “I think physically, it’s really important for me to understand how surfing in winter’s cold water is different from California warm water.”
Back in ֲý
Landlocked or not, Wang says she is very happy with her decision to attend ֲý. “This is such a cozy, supportive, nice community. It’s a small place and the people really know each other and care about each other. That is something I truly value.”
She also appreciates ֲý’s many international students, who help create a vibrant community that includes many different voices and viewpoints.
“You can make friends with people from all over the world,” Wang says. “I think that’s really important to develop an open-minded mindset.”